Travelling to Lake Atitlán, Guatemala: A guide to The Villages
Lake Atitlán, Guatemala has long been a prominent hangout for hippies, backpackers, expats as well as travellers. And, after living on the lake for two months in early 2015, we can absolutely see why! There’s just something about Lake Atitlán that gets under your skin, as well as eventually makes it extremely tough to leave.
Lago de Atitlán as it’s understood in Spanish, is the deepest lake in all of central America as well as is flanked by three towering volcanoes – Tolimán, San Pedro as well as Atitlán. There are lots of Mayan villages surrounding the lake, however there are truly only a few that you are likely to go to / move to indefinitely.
Please note: We travelled Lake Atitlan on a budget plan as well as this post shows that. If you’re trying to find a lot more upscale lodging as well as tours, inspect out LuxuryLatinAmerica.com.
Panajachel
Let’s begin with the most prominent backpacker village on the lake. Panajachel (Pana for short) is the primary port of entry to the lake, as well as if you’re coming from Mexico, Antigua or Guatemala City, this is most likely where you’ll discover yourself first. It’s a bustling, dirty village, with a extremely hectic primary street. because of the truth that this village is linked to the road to the “outside world”, there is likewise a great deal of web traffic here.
Whether you’re a traveller or somebody who is seeking to online on Lake Atitlán for a few months, Pana will likely be of rate of interest to you, at least for a short time. This is where the greatest grocery store is, in addition to “Sandy’s” supermarket, which offers a plethora of Western goodies. If you’re trying to find excursion agencies, transfers to Antigua as well as beyond, a large variety of hotels, lots of western restaurants, great deals of bars, great nightlife, as well as economical Guatemalan handicrafts, this is the location to discover es.
We do suggest checking out Pana as well as even staying here, however we extremely suggest that you take a lancha (taxi boat) as well as inspect out a few of the lots of (more authentic) villages, surrounding Lake Atitlán.
Standort:
Northern end of the lake, the village of Solola is north of Pana, a lot of of the other villages of rate of interest are west of here.
Was ist zu tun:
Kayaking, bar-hopping, go on day trips to close-by villages, go to Saint Francis Church, take Spanish lessons, go to the market.
Was zu erwarten ist:
Lots of tourists, hectic streets, a mix of people – foreigners, Spanish as well as (beautifully dressed) Maya people. views of all three volcanoes. NOT a extremely clean place for swimming.
Beste Tipps:
This is one of the few locations where you can take out money from an ATM on the lake, stock up in Pana! the very best grocery stores are here. A dependable excursion company for booking transportation is Xocomil, found ideal near the lancha port.
To get a much better concept of what Panajachel is like, inspect out our video here:
Santa Cruz la Laguna / Paxanax
Just a quick, 10 minute boat trip from Pana as well as you’ll show up here. We resided in a suburb of Santa Cruz called Paxanax for two months as well as absolutely liked it. This is our much-loved village on the lake. It’s true that we may be a bit bias, however without any road access, Santa Cruz handles to retain its secluded, tranquil charm. Rickety, bamboo platforms are increased out of the water on stilts producing a cool kilometre-long pathway along the shoreline.
Now that’s a beer with a view! Paxanax was a fantastic location to online for 2 months.
There’s not a whole great deal to do right here in terms of sight-seeing, however for such a small, secluded village, there’s really a great deal of other activities to enjoy. The swimming in Paxanax is good, the CECAP program is extremely excellent as well as there’s a Spanish institution as well. Check out the actual village of Santa Cruz at the top of the hill (take a tuk-tuk or a strenuous walk) as well as take pleasure in the sensational vistas!
Standort:
Just a 10 minute boat trip to the west of Pana, on the northern shore.
Was ist zu tun:
Go diving diving (the only dive shop on the lake is found here). Hangout at La Iguana Perdida hotel (happy hour, BBQs, backpackers) as well as take pleasure in wholesome food at hotel Isla Verde. go to the Saturday morning market. Kayak fahren gehen. Check out CECAP, one of the very best pro-economic programs on the lake.
Was zu erwarten ist:
A extremely quiet, tranquil village. No connected road to Panajachel or roads outside of the lake. lots of regional Mayan people.
Beste Tipps:
There are no ATMs here, as well as no grocery stores. aufstocken!
To discover a lot more about Santa Cruz/Paxanax, inspect out our video here:
San Marcos La Laguna
San Marcos is the place to go if you’re into healings, meditation, yoga, massage as well as all things spiritual as well as holistic. however it’s not just a location for spirituality as well as yogis, this is likewise one of the most gorgeous villages on the lake. narrow cement pathways meander with rich trees as well as flowering bushes, as well as the swimming right here is great also – there’s even an area for jumping off the rocks.
The view of San Pedro Volcano from San Marcos Village.
The restaurants in San Marcos are plentiful as well as the food is normally extremely healthy. The only downside is that it’s rather costly compared to the other villages around the lake. There are a couple of little shops right here as well as there are regional vendors selling produce. You can walk from San Marcos to the village of Tzununa in about 15 minutes as well. A boat trip from right here to San Pedro is only 10 minutes.
Standort:
On the northwestern shore.
Was ist zu tun:
Yoga, meditation, massage or reiki. go to a spiritual gathering, go swimming, volunteer, go walking, hiking as well as day-trip to close-by San Pedro.
Was zu erwarten ist:
A tranquil vibe, rich areas, no bars, however lots of great restaurants. views of the towering San Pedro Volcano.
Beste Tipps:
There’s no ATM maker here. Don’t walk between right here as well as San Pedro as there is a high occurrence of robberies along this route.
San Juan La Laguna
This little village is frequently overlooked by tourists, which is as well bad. Sure, it’s not as hectic as the likes of San Pedro, San Marcos or Pana, however there’s something special about San Juan. The people living right here are extremely friendly, it’s a risk-free village as well as the views are charming as well. This village is tranquil as well as peaceful. There are only a couple of locations to eat as well as to stay, however we suggest hotel Uxlabil for food as well as for a night’s stay.
From San Juan, you can quickly walk to San Pedro, or take a quick tuk-tuk ride, which is what likewise makes this village so great.
Beautiful top level Veranda At Uxlabil Eco Lodge in San Juan.
Standort:
West coastline of the lake.
Was ist zu tun:
Wander around town, go to the church, take a day-trip to San Pedro, relax.
Was zu erwarten ist:
Hardly any type of tourists, friendly locals, an authentic feel.
Beste Tipps:
There are only a couple of little restaurants. The food at hotel Uxlabil is good, or you can get some little products at the shops as well as cook for yourself at your hotel. The swimming right here is not good. A lancha boat from Pana going to San Pedro will decrease you at the dock in San Juan if you ask. No ATM.
San Pedro La Laguna
This is the budget backpacker hangout on the lake. There’s a direct road out of the lake from right here as well as the vibe is great. This village has a primary road running along the shoreline, which is where you’ll discover all of the backpacker necessities: shops, excursion agencies, restaurants, bars as well as hostels.
Coffee beans drying on the street in San Pedro.
Heading up the extremely steep hill from the road along the lake, you’ll discover what seems to be a separate village, this is where the locals live, as well as is absolutely an area that you’ll want to inspect out.
There are great deals of things to do right here in San Pedro, whether you’re thinking about chilling out in hammocks, going to bars, discovering about coffee, getting extraordinary artisan goods, discovering Spanish or trekking up volcanoes, this is the village to find to.
If you only had time to go to one village, this would most likely be the one that we suggest – it has a bit something for everyone.
Standort:
Western shore, at the base of the San Pedro Volcano.
Was ist zu tun:
Day-trip to San Marcos for swimming, go to the church, go to the regional create market, hangout on decks overlooking the water, go to bars, satisfy other travellers, discover about exactly how the regional coffee is produced. Hike the San Pedro Volcano as well as Indian Nose lookout.
Was zu erwarten ist:
Lots of backpackers, a hectic village, lots of restaurants/cafes/bars, friendly locals, gorgeous views – however not of vOlcanoes.
Beste Tipps:
Das Schwimmen hier ist nicht gut, fahren Sie nach San Marcos. Es gibt hier ein paar respektable Lebensmittelgeschäfte, um das Selbstversorgung zu erhalten. Es gibt einen Geldautomaten.
Um viel mehr über das coole Dorf San Pedro zu entdecken, inspizieren Sie unser Video hier:
Jaibalito
Obwohl nicht viele Reisende hier übernachten, sollte dieses Dorf auch eine besondere Erwähnung haben. Jaibalito findet sich nur wenige Minuten westlich von Santa Cruz. Tatsächlich können Sie wirklich auf einem High Mountain Trail dorthin gehen, oder es ist eine schnelle Bootsfahrt. Es gibt kaum irgendwelche Menschen, die hier leben oder Touristen hier bleiben, aber es gibt einige Expats sowie freundliche Einheimische. Es gibt ebenfalls ein paar Hotels. Inspizieren Sie den Mittwoch Jaibalito -Markt sowie Le Casa del Mundo auf eine wunderschöne Terrasse.
Santiago Atitlán
Santiago Atitlán ist das bevölkerungsreichste Dorf am See, wobei die meisten Menschen Tz’utujil Maya sind. gefunden am extrem südlichen See auf einem Einlass zwischen Tolimán und San Pedro Vulkanen. Dies ist ein äußerst traditionelles, authentisches Dorf, das jeder Besucher während seines Aufenthalts sehen muss. Freitag und Sonntag sind die Hauptmarkttage, aber es wäre gut, jeden Tag der Woche zu überprüfen.
Lebensmittel zum Verkauf auf dem Jaibalito -Markt.
Gehen!
Unabhängig davon, in welches Dorf Sie am Lake Atitlán reisen, werden Sie im Grunde genommen beeindruckt sein. Die umliegenden Vulkane, der regionale Maya -Menschen sowie der wunderschöne See machen dieses Gebiet sowohl außergewöhnlich als auch einzigartig. Es kann wie eine entmutigende Aufgabe erscheinen, wenn Sie versuchen, herauszufinden, welches Dorf das Beste ist. Im Idealfall hat Ihnen dieser Leitfaden eine große Aufschlüsselung dessen, was Sie von jedem Dorf erwarten können?
Notizen des Reisenden
Kosten für primäre Bootsfahrten:
Panajachel an Santa Cruz – 10q (1,67 USD)
Panajachel nach San Marcos – 15Q (2,50 USD)
Panajachel nach San Pedro – 25q (4 $)
San Pedro nach San Marcos – 10q (1,67 USD)
San Pedro an Santa Cruz – 15Q (2,50 USD)
Gefahren:
Einige Gebiete sind nicht risikofrei für das Gehen. Suchen Sie sich mit einem regionalen Beratung vor dem Trekking zwischen jeder Art von Dörfern beraten. Normalerweise ist jedes Dorf tagsüber risikofrei, die Wege zwischen ihnen sind jedoch sowohl für Raubüberfälle als auch für Muggings bekannt.
Wenn Sie glaubten, dass Menschen die einzigen Mobs sind, die nachts Touristen stören, wären Sie falsch. Es wurde verstanden, dass Packungen von streunenden Hunden ahnungslose Menschen angreifen, insbesondere in der Nacht. Reisen Sie immer mit viel mehr als einer Person nach Einbruch der Dunkelheit und denken Sie daran, Pfefferspray zu bringen.
Ärger:
Die Bootsfahrer haben einen „offiziellen“ Urlauber für Bootsfahrten. Sie können einen Hinweis finden, in dem die Hauptrouten in San Pedro angegeben sind. Wenn Sie jedoch die Preise nicht verstehen, werden sie höchstwahrscheinlich versuchen, Sie abzureißen. Verwenden Sie den oben genannten Kostenhandbuch und zahlen Sie keine Art von mehr.
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Überprüfen Sie unsere Artikel für viel mehr Informationen zum Lake Atitlán:
Wesentliche Ideen und Informationen: Grenzübergang von San Cristobal zum Lake Atitlán
Unser digitales Nomad -Leben am Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Die Kosten des Lebens am Lake Atitlán, Guatemala,
Sind Sie schon einmal zum Lake Atitlán gereist? Welches Dorf glaubst du, ist das Beste?
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